This could just be the high of a particularly good, Megan Ganz-penned episode talking, but it very well may be. Thursday night’s finale, “Advanced Introduction to Futility,” was one of the season’s very best: funny and quotable (“You have so many credits, they have grand-credits”), knowing and self-aware (kudos for the “Six Seasons and a Movie” blackboard and the “Star-Burns Memorial Tree Planting” flyer), and genuinely sweet and touching by its conclusion. This year’s episodes have had their roughest time when creating direct revisits/sequels to previous shows, so the notion of a return to “the darkest timeline” of “Remedial Chaos Theory” (for my money, the show’s single finest episode) was cause for concern. And while “Advanced Introduction” certainly doesn’t match “Remedial Chaos,” it’s at least a worthy successor — a Die Hard 2: Die Harder to its Die Hard, to employ terms Abed might appreciate.

So going out on a high note — which it’s probably safe to bet was part of the reason why Ganz, the most senior of the remaining writers (her credits go back to Season 2’s “Creative Calligraphy,” aka the “Bottle Episode”), was assigned the finale — skews the overall impression of the season somewhat. To be sure, there were real lows this year: the consistently clumsy handling of the Troy/Britta arc, the missed opportunity of the puppet episode, the sappy Thanksgiving show and its half-assed payoff to the Jeff-and-his-dad runner… and don’t even get me started on “Changnesia.” If you tally them up, Season 4 only yielded a couple of really great episodes (I’d count this week’s, the “Sophie B. Hawkins” dance episode, and maybe the Halloween show — also penned by Ganz). But it also only had a couple of genuinely bad ones. Most of the season existed in varying degrees of so-so: a few good gags, a couple of groaners, and a lot of leftover goodwill towards the cast and the characters.

Those who defend Season 4 like to ask if those disappointed by it would have voiced their concerns so strenuously if Harmon were still on board. It’s kind of a silly argument on its face — our presumption is that he wouldn’t have let much of this stuff slide in — but the point is valid: we’re hyper-aware of the fact that there was a giant shakeup behind the scenes, in a way that audiences weren’t when, say, Larry Gelbart left M*A*S*H or Glen and Les Charles exited Cheers. When those series were running, the creator/executive producer of a hit — or acclaimed, or both — television show wasn’t quite the pop culture rock star that he/she (he, too often) would become in the Internet era.

No, the more appropriate example would be Aaron Sorkin, whose much-publicized ouster from The West Wing at the conclusion of that show’s fourth season is a useful precedent for Community’s second era —and for why it’s worth keeping around for a while. Because as any West Wing fan can tell you, that first post-Sorkin season was fucking malodorous. A show that had been fast, sharp, funny, and thoughtful was suddenly plodding, dull, and aggressively stupid; because Sorkin had penned so much of the show himself, his writing staff didn’t know how to do much more than imitate his style, and badly.

But the show kept going, and after a miserable, borderline-unwatchable fifth season, a funny thing happened: The West Wing got good again. The writers found their own groove, the shiny ensemble cast started getting material they could work with, and the show was reinvigorated by a splendid election-year plotline, with new characters and new stakes. The West Wing never again reached the heights of the Sorkin era, but it became its own new and pretty-good thing.

And that, it seems, is the best we can hope for from a fifth year of Community, should NBC decide not to cancel all of its comedies except Parks and Rec. It is, fairly obviously, a show whose best years are behind it. But even in its lesser installments, it remains a warm and likable program with a talented ensemble, and its fourth season peaks, while rare, hint that there might be some life left in this perpetual underdog after all.

• Scenariul

  Dan Harmon

• Cu

  Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash, Richard Erdman, Dino Stamatopoulos, John Oliver

• Gen serial

  Comedie

Din partea regizorilor Joe şi Anthony Russo (Arrested Development), câştigători ai premiului Emmy, vine serialul Community, o comedie inteligentă despre educaţia universitară… şi aşteptările mici de la viaţă. Corpul studenţilor din comunitatea de la Greendale este alcătuit din liceeni fără nicio speranţă în viaţă, neveste proaspăt divorţate şi chiar oameni bătrâni care vor să-şi ţină mintea activă. În interiorul acestor ziduri, Community se axează pe o grupare de persoane inadaptabile, în centrul acesteia fiind un avocat care vorbeşte foarte mult şi prea repede a cărui diplomă a fost respinsă (Joel McHale), ei formând un grup de studiu în care vor învăţa mai multe despre ei înşişi decât despre cursurile la care iau parte. (tvpedia.org)

• Sezonul 1 – Nota 9
• Sezonul 2 – Nota 8
• Sezonul 3 – Nota 8
• Sezonul 4 – Nota 9

Pop-Break’s Study Group is a weekly review series of Community that will feature rotating reviews from Lauren Stern, Daniel Cohen and Logan J. Fowler.

I must admit, hours before Community premiered tonight on NBC, I was reading through reviews and semi-spoilers that were popping up my Twitter feed. I know that’s probably the lamest thing to do as a fan – but I can’t help it. I follow a lot of great writers that are fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of this episode and I can’t control my urge to click on their articles when I see them. In this instance, I really don’t regret doing this because (thankfully) nothing really important was given away to me. The only thing I got out of the very few reviews that I read was the notion that Season 4 is off to a very different start and many viewers tonight may not like the tone or the direction of the episode.

Now, I know it’s been over six months, since I’ve seen a Community episode but I just don’t see what these writers and even now some of my friends are saying. Sure the episode wasn’t as fantastic as some of the more classic episodes (See: “Claymation Christmas,” “Modern Warefare,” “Dungeons and Dragons,” etc) but it wasn’t at all terrible. It wasn’t an overwhelmingly great start, but I didn’t feel like something was missing or that it was too conventional.

So, since I did enjoy this episode, let’s look at some of the highlights…

The Hunger Deans
Yes, this was supposed to be a play on Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games but was I the only one who didn’t see the connection? I mean granted, they aren’t going to start killing each other off, but the gang fighting for a class in the most obscure way is a typical day at Greendale. I felt like making it a Hunger Games-esque battle was supposed to set it apart from the fights from previous seasons and the writers failed to incorporate the reference. I felt like there was supposed to be a “Haha Oh my god, this is so the Hunger Games” moment and it totally wasn’t there. This is one of the few moments in the premiere that I thought fell short.

ABED TV
I really love when Abed goes into an alternate universe because it reminds me so much of the sixth season of LOST and LOST is so Abed, so it’s perfect. Minus the annoying laugh tracks, I dug the fact that Abed got caught up in his happy place. Even more so, I’m glad Britta was the one who put him there because she’s the only one who is supposed to. Yes, there may be new writers, but there are some things in this show you just cannot change EVER.

Troy and Britta
A lot of reviews I read were disappointed that the episode had some development in Troy and Britta’s relationship but I think that’s severely over-reacting. Just because there was rarely emotional development present in Community before, doesn’t mean that aspect should be absent forever. Plus wasn’t everyone routing for Troy and Britta since the moment they started batting eyelashes at each other? Or was that just me?

The Dean and Jeff’s Dance Off/ “Room Mates”
I could not stop laughing during the dance scene between Jeff and the Dean. Yes, they’ve had awkward moments like this in the past, but I think this really topped all of them. I mean – as soon as the Dean ripped off his red dress to show his green “tango dress” it became my favorite scene tonight. It also makes me admire Jim Rash (who plays the Dean) even more for being able to pull his character off. He never fails to do an an amazing job each and every time.

The idea of the Dean and Jeff living next to each other was brilliant too. That’s something I really didn’t ever expect to happen and I’m so excited to see how that works out. It’s also going to be interesting to see it in action compared to Jeff’s previous roommate, Chang. I wonder, which one is going to be the least favorable living situation?

Greendale Babies & Jeff’s Speech
I had a feeling that Abed was going to go into his “happy place” tonight but I didn’t expect him to go into his happy place in his happy place. I feel like if there were any “edge” in this episode it would have been the Greendale Babies alternate universe. It was just too unexpected and it totally threw me off in the best way possible.

Also, I loved how something so typical-Community as a speech from Jeff was used in all of the different realities. If there was anything we learned from LOST is that there has to be something that brings everyone together. Jeff’s speech is essentially Desmond.

Changnesia
If there is one thing I’m excited for this season on Community, it’s the revitalization of Chang. So much so that I’m pretty sure (and correct me if I’m wrong) there was no one on this planet screaming like an idiot the moment Ken Jeong popped up on screen. Him naked handing that note to the postman couldn’t have been a more perfect scene. This may be my obsession with Chang/Jeong talking, but this is the one plot line I’m anticipating – and even more now that we’ve gotten a small glimpse of it.

I really hope that all Community fans that were upset with this premiere give the rest of the season a chance. Who knows, it may surprise you!

Hollywood, CA – The 2^nd Annual Gospel Goes to Hollywood Awards Luncheon (GGTH) will be hosted by actress Wendy Raquel Robinson and Grammy Winning Donnie McClurkin.  This event was hailed as a resounding success last year in Hollywood and this year will be no exception.  The event, is to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against domestic violence, will be held Friday, February 22, 2013 at the historical Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, CA.

Festivities will began with a high-powered-red-carpet and pre-reception on the lavishly landscaped courtyard of Taglyan. Guests will enjoy delectable pass trays and mimosa before entering the venue adorned by beautiful floral designs by Tic-Tock Couture Floral.  

Hundreds of guests, celebrities, industry legends and some of today’s hottest artist will be in attendance as Hollywood Actors/Actresses, TV/FILM Directors and Producers all gather to “Celebrate The Faith” during Oscar Week.

Recording artist J. Kingdom will kick off the show followed by the Grammy Award Winning duo MARY MARY.

Last year, the event concluded when celebrities Loretta Devine, Bill Duke, Cutis King, CeCe Winans, Gospel Saxophonist Angella Christie, Donnie McClurkin, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Kimberly Elise, Mikki Taylor, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Judge Mathis, Kenny Lattimore, Jimmy Jean Louis, Desiree Coleman Jackson, Tonya Young Williams, Rochelle Aytes, Adrian Anderson, J.C Jones, Kym E. Whitley, Mo & Kita, Wendell James and Sherif Atkins all joined Donnie McClurkin on stage to sing and celebrate the untold stories of faith in Hollywood.

This year, the LIST will be longer as this event has become a SIGNATURE EVENT during Oscar Week!

“This is a much-needed event and if you’ll have me, I’ll be here every year,” says Donnie McClurkin. 

 Event Sponsors: included Taglyan Cultural Center, Coca-Cola, Tic-Tock Couture Floral and Walgreens to name just a few. 

Proceeds from the day’s events are donated to The Helpppping Hands Foundation dedicated to assist abused & battered women and their children throughout the world.

About The HELPPPPing Hands Foundation: 

A 501(c) 3 non-profit organization designed to meet the needs and empower women and children everywhere since 1997.  For the past 14 years they’ve been Helping, Empowering and Preparing people for their PURPOSE, PLAN and PLATFORM by lending a HELPPPPing Hand. The focus is on assisting abused & battered women and their children by providing support counseling, education and resources that will help to transition these individuals back into society as a viable citizen in homes and communities. To learn more about The HELPPPPing Hands Foundation, visit them at www.TheHelpingHandsFoundation.us

About the HELPPPP Agency:

The Helpppagency birthed in 2005, is a full service event planning and management company based in Atlanta Georgia owned and operated by Tomeka B. Holyfield.  The Agency gained national attention in 2006 after producing the FIRST EVER Red-Carpet Events in the Christian Community. The event recognizes and celebrates local pastors, sports figures and celebrities who share in the faith. The All-Star Gospel Celebration, now in its 8th year, has become a staple event during NBA All-Star Weekend. In 2012, the first ever Gospel Goes To Hollywood Awards Luncheon was lunched to MUCH fan fair! Visit them at: www.GospelGoesToHollywood.com

Courtesy of www.thebellereport.net    www.twitter.com/thebellereport

Hollywood, CA – The 2^nd Annual Gospel Goes to Hollywood Awards Luncheon (GGTH) will be hosted by actress Wendy Raquel Robinson and Grammy Winning Donnie McClurkin.  This event was hailed as a resounding success last year in Hollywood and this year will be no exception.  The event, is to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against domestic violence, will be held Friday, February 22, 2013 at the historical Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, CA.

Festivities will began with a high-powered-red-carpet and pre-reception on the lavishly landscaped courtyard of Taglyan. Guests will enjoy delectable pass trays and mimosa before entering the venue adorned by beautiful floral designs by Tic-Tock Couture Floral.  

Hundreds of guests, celebrities, industry legends and some of today’s hottest artist will be in attendance as Hollywood Actors/Actresses, TV/FILM Directors and Producers all gather to “Celebrate The Faith” during Oscar Week.

Recording artist J. Kingdom will kick off the show followed by the Grammy Award Winning duo MARY MARY.

Last year, the event concluded when celebrities Loretta Devine, Bill Duke, Cutis King, CeCe Winans, Gospel Saxophonist Angella Christie, Donnie McClurkin, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Kimberly Elise, Mikki Taylor, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Judge Mathis, Kenny Lattimore, Jimmy Jean Louis, Desiree Coleman Jackson, Tonya Young Williams, Rochelle Aytes, Adrian Anderson, J.C Jones, Kym E. Whitley, Mo & Kita, Wendell James and Sherif Atkins all joined Donnie McClurkin on stage to sing and celebrate the untold stories of faith in Hollywood.

This year, the LIST will be longer as this event has become a SIGNATURE EVENT during Oscar Week!

“This is a much-needed event and if you’ll have me, I’ll be here every year,” says Donnie McClurkin. 

 Event Sponsors: included Taglyan Cultural Center, Coca-Cola, Tic-Tock Couture Floral and Walgreens to name just a few. 

Proceeds from the day’s events are donated to The Helpppping Hands Foundation dedicated to assist abused & battered women and their children throughout the world.

About The HELPPPPing Hands Foundation: 

A 501(c) 3 non-profit organization designed to meet the needs and empower women and children everywhere since 1997.  For the past 14 years they’ve been Helping, Empowering and Preparing people for their PURPOSE, PLAN and PLATFORM by lending a HELPPPPing Hand. The focus is on assisting abused & battered women and their children by providing support counseling, education and resources that will help to transition these individuals back into society as a viable citizen in homes and communities. To learn more about The HELPPPPing Hands Foundation, visit them at www.TheHelpingHandsFoundation.us

About the HELPPPP Agency:

The Helpppagency birthed in 2005, is a full service event planning and management company based in Atlanta Georgia owned and operated by Tomeka B. Holyfield.  The Agency gained national attention in 2006 after producing the FIRST EVER Red-Carpet Events in the Christian Community. The event recognizes and celebrates local pastors, sports figures and celebrities who share in the faith. The All-Star Gospel Celebration, now in its 8th year, has become a staple event during NBA All-Star Weekend. In 2012, the first ever Gospel Goes To Hollywood Awards Luncheon was lunched to MUCH fan fair! Visit them at: www.GospelGoesToHollywood.com

Courtesy of www.thebellereport.net    www.twitter.com/thebellereport

I’ve had the pleasure of binge-watching this show a few months back and fell in love with it. When it first began though, the show felt like it didn’t have an identity. It was smartly written and well acted, but it wasn’t able to separate itself from other middling comedies about a bunch of misfits. Then they began to exploit Abed’s fourth wall breaking elements to elevate this show above others. What first started out as a show about community college hi-jinx, has evolved into a show about shows. It bends genre and pokes fun at a lot of different tropes that exist in movies and television, from spaghetti western to Glee.

However, not everything was roses and daisies for the cast and crew. They rode the “NBC limbo” for quite a while and the show had been on the verge of cancellation nearly every season. It never did well in the ratings, but strangely enough, it also had one of the best cult followings. The show was renewed for a fourth season, which was supposed to come back last fall, but we’ll finally get to see the start of what might be the last season (again) this coming February 7th.

So without further ado, here’s the “epic” trailer.

That school gets demolished like every other episode. This will be the first season without its original creator, Dan Harmon, so we’ll have to see if it meets the standards it set for itself with its previous seasons. Also, it’s been confirmed that Chevy Chase will not return for the next season (if there happens to be one).

I, for one, cannot wait.

P.S. Look at the chalk board in the trailer at 1:05 and 1:07.

Written by Daniel Lee

@zombee_f

@2cool4blog 

Zendaya posted a photo through “Mobli” today with Yvette Nicole Brown.

She says “Such an honor working with @yvettenbrown we killed it!! ” They have just wrapped up filming for Shake It Up’s 19th episode of Season 3.

Brown will guest star and portray a Psychic. Be sure to catch an all new episode of Shake it Up this Sunday, January 13!

Check out the full size picture below!

Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas.

Christmas is one of the best times for television. Everyone is together, spending the holiday with family and friends, making sure everything is peaceful and positive, meaning everything is chaotic and dramatic.

Community exemplifies this brilliantly. Christmas traditions are important, which is why Community based it’s Christmas episode around one. In this stop-animation episode, based on those wonderful sixties movies, the study group is transformed from live action to characters from toy land.

This episode is not a dream, Abed is not awoken before the credits to some concerned parent. He is suppressing pain and in doing so created a different world for himself. (The show even referenced this episode later on in their clip show, John Oliver talking over Abed’s imaginary world. The rest of the group, expect for Jeff who’s on his phone, are staring – horrified). Watching the episode you don’t realize the reality behind it. You get sucked into the magic and whimsy.

John Oliver guests as the psychologist banking in on Abed’s problem, he is also a Christmas wizard. He delivers one of my favourite lines about six minutes in: “Well we are making fabulous and unexpectedly intense progress.” Oliver is fantastic on this show, it was a shame he didn’t stick around longer.

Abed’s World is the “most Christmas-y around…It’s atmosphere is seven percent cinnamon.” As the group adventures, cynical members are kicked off creatively. Shirley is frozen and picked up by a Christmas Pterodactyl, Jeff by hum bugs and Britta crushed in the ice cave.

Before taking Bjork speed ahead, you see the relationship between Abed, Troy and Annie. Abed spills his secret to them and they allow him to finish his journey and get rid of Ian Dunkan (Oliver). In the end bringing the whole group together to sing the best parts of Christmas.

This episode is perfectly Christmas, filled with songs, love, tradition, friendship and fun animation. It is my favourite Community episode, and will probably watch is every Christmas.

Regional Holiday Music

Regional Holiday music is a fantastic Holiday satire of Glee, right down to the acapella bops between scenes. This was a fun episode during a very dark and twisted season.

Taran Killam guests as glee club director Cory Radison. He is fantastic as a creepy though charming.

Watching as each person gets sucked in through song is wonderful. It is creepy but hilarious and totally realistic. He is obsessive in his pursuit of the study group and even confesses to killing the previous glee club.

When Abed learns Mr. Rad’s plan to stay with them forever he foils it. Abed send’s Britta onstage to sing her hearts song. When Rad gets angry the Dean responds beautifully: “Why don’t we let Britta sing her awkward song.”

This episode is hilarious. I showed it to my sister (a Glee fan) and my mother and they were both laughing out loud. Also, Abed wants the group to watch an Inspector Spacetime Christmas Special which is what I will be doing with Doctor Who and my family.

Yvette Nicole Brown recently tweeted a picture of herself with Blair Underwood while she was volunteering at The LA Mission! With this she wrote “Always a blessing to see @BlairUnderwood and his beautiful family! This time volunteering @TheLAMission!”

Hope you are having fun!

COMMUNITY AIR DATE – Argh!!! Community has been going through a lot of “Chang”-es… First of all, Dan Harmon will no longer be involved with the show. Who knows how this will affect the show? Second, the scheduled date for October 19 got delayed to an unannounced date, which angered us fans more. But finally, NBC released its mid-season schedule, and Community will be back February 7, Thursday night. Don’t miss your favorite study group getting into all kinds of shenanigans, and keep checking back for more updates.

I much prefer TV to film. Perhaps I have a shorter attention span, or prefer the longevity of a television series. This is why I absolutely love DVD box-sets, and feel the need to review them on this here blog. To start off with, my new favourite show, Community.

As a UK viewer, I am a bit behind on this show. Series 4 was due to start in the US around about now, but it has been delayed until February. Fans aren’t happy about the delay, but personally I’m glad as it gives me time to catch up on this wonderful show.

Series, or should I say season, one of Community was handily present on Virgin Media’s On Demand service and, in a moment of boredom a couple of weeks ago, I decided to watch it. I had heard good things about Community and instantly fell in love with this charming comedy.

Set in Greendale Community College (where Postman Pat presumably got his qualifications) we are introduced in the first episode to Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) who has ended up at the college after his high-flying career as a lawyer was cut short due to his law degree being fake. He clearly doesn’t want to be there, but as soon as he sees Britta (Gillian Jacobs) he decides that maybe it isn’t so bad after all. She’s very lovely.

Jeff and Britta

In true romantic / stalkery fashion, he tries to woo her, inadvertently setting up a Spanish study group in an attempt to get some time alone with her. Who’d want to go to a study group right?

Unfortunately for Jeff, Britta brings along several of her classmates and this motley crew are the fantastic cast that makes this show so brilliant. Jeff ends up as the leader of the gang as he struggles in regular battles with his ego and Britta’s stubbornness.

Also in the group we have the adorable Annie, played by Alison Brie. She’s young, sweet and a bit of a goodie two shoes, but with a darker past. She’s also very lovely.

Annie

Abed (Danny Pudi) is the group “nerd” and floats between a world of TV and pop culture references and reality. Abed provides some of the more off-the-wall comedic elements within the show when he has to deal with social interactions in his own unique way.Think of that guy from The Big Bang Theory but much less irritating and much funnier.

Troy has just left the same high school as Annie and is played by Donald Glover (a.k.a. rapper Childish Gambino). He is macho and cool, but his inner child is brought out by his friendship with Abed. And he raps in the show too.

Troy and Abed

The mature students in the group are Pierce (Chevy Chase), a millionaire who is at Greendale due to boredom and provides some hilarious moments with his inappropriate one-liners, arrogance and his attempts to be cool. Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) is the interfering mother of the group – a professional guilt tripper and interferer.

Shirley and Pierce

Put them all in one study room together and all sorts of things happen. Cheating in tests, holding an STD-Awareness fair, getting fiercely competitive in a pottery class and creating a fried chicken mafia, the group’s trials and tribulations make for hilarious viewing.

The supporting characters, the teachers, are also brilliant. Crazy Spanish teacher Señor Chang (played by The Hangover’s Ken Jeong) is quite simply insane and there’s also the bizarre Dean Craig Pelton (Jim Rash). Also look out for ex Mock The Week panellist John Oliver as the downright creepy Professor Ian Duncan.

Señor Chang

The adventures of the study group throughout season one are hilarious, well written and well acted.  The show cleverly uses the quirks of the characters, fantasy and meta-humour. You quickly find yourself motoring through the episodes and spending hours watching when you should really be doing something more productive. Like I did.

One negative point about the first series is that the first half is quite slow to get into but the episodes towards the end of the series, especially the “buddy cop” movie parody and the paintball war finale, are simply genius. I’m now onto season two having bought the box set and it is certainly failing to disappoint.

So if you’re looking for a clever, charming, quirky comedy that is extremely funny, Community is certainly worth a watch.

NBC revealed that the release date for the fourth season of Community is….Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.

My feelings exactly!

What I still can’t understand is why Whitney is still on the air and before Community. I need to see receipts cause something’s not adding up.

First, they fire the writer and executive producer Dan Harmon, then they delay the show 4 months later. I think it’s time for Community to pack their bags and move to another network that gives a crap about a show that is hilarious and well written. NBC keeps Britta-ing everything.

On the plus side, Community will be taking over 30 Rock’s Thursday night time-slot instead of the ratings-killer Friday slot.

Silver lining.

Related articles

• ‘Community’ Is Back … In Canada!? (huffingtonpost.com)

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Lindsay Lohan allegedly thwarted a planned intervention by threatening to call the police on her father.

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Rihanna and Chris Brown continued to flaunt their vomit inducing reunion this weekend at the launch of his new Internet channel.

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Hunger Games: Catching Fire has already claimed its first victim.  ”I twisted my knee,” Liam Hemsworth admitted to USA Today.

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John Mayer helped on-again girlfriend Katy Perry kick off her birthday week with a star-studded costume party. Perry was allegedly dressed as a sexy vampire, perhaps in homage to  fellow guest Kristen Stewart.

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Kim Kardashian says she dresses better around beau Kanye West. So that’s where all the sartorial advice he used to dole out on Twitter went to.

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Chevy Chase had a breakdown on the Community set Friday, at one point allegedly using the N-word in front of African-American co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover. In other sad Community news, the show is still “benched.”

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Gossip Girl has officially wrapped. Don’t believe us? Here are some photos of the cast celebrating the first day of the rest of their lives.

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And speaking of wrapping, ABC will reportedly close Private Practice after this season.

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Meet James Franco‘s new girlfriend. No, she’s not an art project.

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Finally, check out the first scandalous image from Selena Gomez‘s upcoming controversial film, Spring Breakers.

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Multiple sources confirm to TVLine that Chevy Chase dropped the N-word on the set of the NBC comedy Friday afternoon in the presence of his African-American co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover. According to an insider, the acting vet was struggling with his character’s dialogue and, in a moment of frustration, uttered the racial epithet.

The slur was not directed at Brown and Glover specifically, maintains another source close to the production, who adds that Chase has grown increasingly unhappy with the dark direction of his character, the bigoted Pierce Hawthorne. But it nonetheless caused enough of a stir to briefly interrupt production. Chase eventually summoned the cast and crew together to issue a formal apology.

An NBC spokesperson and reps for Chase declined to comment. Emails to Sony, which produces Community, were not returned.

This is the second Community-related controversy that Chase has found himself at the center of. At the end of last season, he was embroiled in a rather public showdown with series creator Dan Harmon, prompting many to wonder if Chase’s days at Greendale were numbered. Ultimately, it was Harmon who was ousted (but allegedly not due to his feud with Chase).

Coincidentally, the incident took place on the same day NBC originally planned to premiere the show’s fourth season. Earlier this month, the network announced that it was delaying the show’s return for scheduling reasons.

Posted by Kim

Community Held Hostage, Day 10.  Things are starting to feel dire.  The longer we go without any word, the more I fear we’ll be airing in January.  There was a giant tease yesterday when TV.com listed a return date of 11/1/12…which would have meant that Up All Night was toast and Community was moving into its place.  Alas, that rumor proved to be false when TV.com confirmed that all listings are user-generated.  It’s a double edge sword…I desperately want my show back, but I ALSO don’t want it airing in the bloodbath that is the NBC Thursday Night line-up.  So the Community fandom continues to wait and watch the ratings for Animal Practice and Guys with Kids like a hawk.  With any luck, by this time tomorrow, one or both of those shows will be off the line-up.

But I’m not writing this blog to be a downer.  Not today anyway.  Today I choose to celebrate what I love about Community by naming my top 5 episodes.  I talked this over with Jenn yesterday for a good while…how to even pick a top 5?  Surely a top 10 would be easier and more forgiving of personal sentiment over episode quality.  All of that is true.  But I wanted to choose a top 5.  Someone of these choices reflect personal preference, some of the episodes are ones that are no brainers.  All of them are episodes I would choose to show a Community newbie to hook them into the series.  So here we go…POP POP.

5) Debate 109

This is my most sentimental Top 5 choice.  I chose this episode because the moment in that gif?  That’s the exact moment that I fell in love with Community…when Annie Edison took down her hair and Jeff Winger was completely gobsmacked by it.  I remember watching this episode in my season one marathon and this moment happened and I sat up and said, “Ooooohhh…now THIS is interesting.”  And the rest of the episode sealed the deal.  I was all in with Community.  I don’t think the writers had ANY idea what would happen when they put Jeff and Annie (or more specifically, Joel McHale and Alison Brie) together.  Their chemistry is nothing short of electric.

PS Dan Harmon, I’m 33 years old and I ship Jeff and Annie like no one’s business.  And it’s NOT because I think they look cute together.

4) Regional Holiday Music

The episode that did Glee better than Glee does Glee.  This episode is also a bit of a sentimental choice, as I will NEVER forget watching this episode live and blowing up twitter with the rest of the Community fandom.  This episode, written by Steve Basilone and Annie Mebane (who GOD BLESS HER follows me on Twitter), is perfection from top to bottom.  I was laughing so hard I was crying at “Jehovah’s Most Secret Witness”, “Baby Boomer Santa” and Gillian Jacobs’ BRILLIANT commitment to her “Me so Christmas” dance (“Oh, Britta’s in this?”).  And then the next thing I knew, I was legitimately crying when the Study Group showed up at Chez Trobednie singing Christmas Carols to Abed.  I cried because it was a beautiful moment (a moment I will show to ANYONE who says Community has no heart) and I cried because I realized that my beautiful little show was now on an indefinite hiatus.  And I cried because everyone else on Twitter was crying.  THAT is what makes the Community Fandom so special.

3) Modern Warfare

You can’t do a list about the top episodes of Community without including this one.  Until Remedial Chaos Theory aired in season three, this was the episode Community was known for.  It’s a perfect parody of action films, yet still stays rooted in the ultimate wants and desires of the characters.  Back in my season one marathon this was the episode that made me go…”Wow.  This show is really not afraid of doing ANYTHING.”  Clearly, they have gone on to prove that.  It’s one of the things I love most about the show.  Also on a shallow note, can we take a moment to appreciate McHale’s arms?  I have a signed script of this episode (thank you Neil Goldman) and in the scene where Jeff strips down to his wife beater, the stage direction is literally “revealing arms that make women watch the show”.  Did I mention that this episode was WRITTEN by a woman?  A very very very smart woman who clearly knows her audience.

2) Cooperative Calligraphy

As a massive fan of Friends, I always loved the “bottle episodes” the most.  It really shows the strength of a show and its cast when you put all the principle characters in one room for an episode and just let them go at each other.  Community’s bottle episode, where the group searches for Annie’s lost purple pen, belongs in the pantheon of great bottle episodes.  Someone who has never seen this show could watch this episode and understand all the relationships and the characters with no problem.  The cast is in top form, showcasing how truly excellent the casting for Community is (yes, even you, Chevy).  For the longest time, this was my personal favorite episode.  Well that was until…

1) Remedial Chaos Theory

Fact: Remedial Chaos Theory is one of the greatest half hours of television ever.  That’s right.  I said EVER.  I remember reading advance reviews for the episode, and then begging my coworker Renee, who had been curious about Community (mainly because I wouldn’t shut up about it) that if she was EVER going to watch an episode, this would be the one to watch.  I was fully confident that she would not only get the show, she would fall in love with it.  She texted me at 8:32 that night saying “That was the greatest thing I have ever seen.”  And another Communie is born.  My work is never done.

RCT has everything from nice shipper moments (Yeah, I screamed at all the Jeff and Annieness.  It’s also the episode that got me fully on board the Troy/Britta train) to showcasing some of the basic conflicts of the group (Shirley not knowing where she fits in with the group, Pierce’s jealousy over the Troy/Abed relationship).  And of course, it launched the movement that became the battle cry of embittered Community fans everywhere…the felt goatees and the Darkest timeline.  I was howling with laughter so loudly during Troy’s timeline, I was concerned that one of my neighbors would complain.

So there you have it.  My top 5.  Discuss my rankings and what YOUR personal rankings would be in the comments.

If you’re prone to squeals of joy, clapping your hands at the slightest sign of excitement or are easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, the homegrown revival of Match Game is for you!

And why not? Game shows have become one of North America’s biggest exports. Why, as Nelson pointed out in Bad TV, Wheel of Fortune appeared in 15 countries at one point, and it was a sensation in Poland, where it was known as Kolo Fortuny. Spain was gaga over The Price is Right not so long ago, where it was known as El Precio Justo. The Dating Game made it to Islamic Turkey, where it was known as Saklambac. Never mind YouTube videos masquerading as trailers for movies that don’t exist — it’s game shows where the infidels rule.

The new Match Game, hosted with a mix of forced bonhomie and occasional use of air-quotes by Oshawa, Ont., comedian Darrin Rose, is based on the 1962-99 retro-classic of the same name. Contestants complete a phrase by filling in a missing word — i.e. “Jack the artist is really weird. He doesn’t paint with oil; he paints with [blank]” — and then try to match their answers with those of a celebrity panel. The more answers matched, the higher the points total. The higher the points total, the bigger the cash prize. Hoopla!

Standup comics Seán Cullen and Debra DiGiovanni are regular panellists, and they appear in tonight’s opener alongside Community’s Yvette Nicole Brown and improv comedian and Whose Line is it Anyway? fixture Colin Mochrie. Future guest panellists include Greg Grunberg, Scott Thompson, Tom Green, Andy Kindler, Caroline Rhea, Janeane Garofalo, Jeremy Hotz and Stargate SG-1 and Sanctuary siren Amanda Tapping, among others.

Many of the episodes have been taped already. Some panellists — no names here — have hinted on Twitter that they did quite well, so stay away from the tweet sheet if you’ve half a mind to watch and want to be surprised.

The more successful game shows have concepts that are easy to grasp in a hurry, and allow the viewer to play along at home. Match Game fills the bill on all counts. It’s Jeopardy!, without the intellectual challenge. It’s easy — and fun! — to think of a word that completes a clue like, “Mark said I have a really smart dog: As soon as Jersey Shore comes on, he [blanks] the TV.” That clue actually appears in tonight’s opener, along with, “The father of the bride said, ‘I think that my daughter may have married the wrong guy. At the end of the ceremony, he not only kissed the bride, he also kissed the [blank].”

Match Game takes its cue in part from 1959′s Laugh Line, in which host Dick Van Dyke showed cartoons to internationally known celebrities like Orson Bean, and the celebrities had to supply the captions. Oh, the excitement! Match Game might also remind game show aficionados of Password, in which a celebrity player and a contestant were each given a word and had to convey that word to their partner using a one-word clue within a five-second time limit.

No one watches game shows to be educated or informed. Yes, there are moments when the new Match Game resembles one of those Saturday Night Live game-show parodies of Password, in which Kristen Wiig channelled her inner Kitty Carlisle, but such is life on TV. Bookmark, bookworm — so close!

Match Game is not Masterpiece Theatre, or even The Decline of Western Civilization. It is what it is: Entertainment TV. After all, as the respected teacher, social critic and self-described dissident feminist Camille Paglia noted in Wired magazine not so long ago, “The trashier the program is, the more I feel it’s TV.”

Please, hold your applause until after the show. (Comedy, 8 ET/PT)

Three to See

* Junk Raiders is back for a new season — proving, if nothing else, that soon the plethora of Antiques Roadshow-generated imitators like Hoarders, Storage Wars, Canadian Pickers, Pawn Stars and the rest will warrant their very own Jeopardy! category, if they haven’t already. (Discovery, 9 ET/PT)

* The early numbers are in, and by now one thing’s clear: Revolution is a modest to mid-sized hit, and seems assured of a pickup for a second season. As last night’s return of the similarly themed The Walking Dead proved, though, Revolution is bland and almost childish in comparison. Kim Raver and Jeff Fahey make guest appearances in tonight’s episode, in which the survivors’ search party gets closer to rescuing Danny (Graham Rogers) from the evil clutches the dastardly, despicable Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito). The Walking Dead, it ain’t. (Citytv, NBC, 10 ET/PT, 8 MT)

* This, too, is now evident: The Voice has weathered last week’s early battle rounds — usually the part of the show when ratings drop — and is now more widely watched than ever, according to Nielsen ratings figures from the U.S. And small wonder. The singing this season puts rival The X Factor to shame, and Michael Bublé, Mary J. Blige, Billie Joe Armstrong and Rob Thomas have added a new dimension to what was already a fascinating culture contest. The battle rounds continue tonight. (CTV Two, NBC, 8 ET/PT, 9 MT)